Best Medicine
by Matatabi-chan
Summary: After the war is won, there is only one medicine that can heal anything. When Naruto is suffering from his wounds who can be his medicine to heal it all and stop the pain? written well before the newest chapters of the manga.


Tsunade watched as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were surrounded by ninja from all over the world. The three looked around, not knowing what to do as they were congratulated for being the ones who ended the war. Suddenly Naruto's grin slipped from his face as he was jostled around and he was gone with a cry from Sakura. Tsunade, Kakashi, and the other friends pushed their way through to find him on the ground, unconscious with Sakura healing him and Sasuke standing behind her watching. Tsunade knelt down and tried to help as best she could with her low chakra stores as the others backed the crowd up to let the two women work. Tsunade glanced up at Sakura as she heard the younger woman whispering.

"Naruto." Sakura said softly as she looked at his face. "Come on. Don't die, you can't die. Not before…" She choked back tears as Tsunade paused a minute before pouring everything she had into healing the young man.

"Is he…" Ino asked as she walked closer to try to help.

"S-Sakura-chan…?" They heard as he cracked his eyes. Sakura smiled, relived.

"Relax, Naruto." Sakura told him as he tried to move. "You need to rest and let your body heal. Even with the Kyuubi you're body still took a beating.

"Kurama tried to keep it from being too bad." He told her before he was back unconscious.

"Sasuke!" They heard making them turn and find Karin holding Sasuke as he knelt breathing hard.

"How are you still standing?" Kiba asked Sakura as she moved to check over Sasuke.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess it's because of my chakra store. I used a lot of it during the fighting and to heal everyone but I have enough stored up to be able to keep my body moving." the others just watched as she healed what she could on Sasuke before a field hospital was set up and the wounded were moved to be cared for.

Sakura was sitting against a boulder watching over Naruto as Sasuke lay off to the side with his friends watching over him. The camp had grown quiet as the wounded were healed to at least non-life threatening stages and everyone was resting after the hard battles they had just gone through. Sakura heard shuffling making her look over to find Hinata stop not far to the side looking at Naruto as he slept before turning her pale eyes towards her friend who was looking tired.

"H-how is he?" She asked as she moved closer and both their gazes turned back to Naruto.

"He's better. After some rest I'm sure he'll be up and running around again." She gave a small smile.

"He really is amazing." Hinata said softly before moving closer to sit down.

"I'm going to check on the others. Let me know if you need anything." Sakura told her before getting up and walking towards the others to make sure they were doing well. "How are you doing Ino?" She asked as she sat next to her friend who was staring into a small fire off to the side from where her and her team was laying.

"Alright I guess." She said softly. Sakura took a seat next to her old rival and best friend.

"How are the others?"

"Choji is really worn out and a little beat up but he'll be okay. Shikamaru is alright but he's been pretty quiet. Temari's been sitting with him for the most part." Ino glanced at Shikamaru lounging over to the side with Temari sleeping close by. Next to her were her two brothers, Kankuro was sound asleep and Gaara sat with his eyes closed, silent. "What about you? You were right up front and all."

"Naruto and Sasuke caught most of the attacks, I'm fine." Sakura explained.

"I'm surprised you left Naruto's side." Ino said with a knowing look as Sakura looked at her confused. "Oh come on. I saw how you looked at him and when he dropped, I saw how you took care of him." She saw her friend blush a bit. "There's no denying it."

"Denying what? Ino gave a soft sigh.

"You love him." Ino told her making Sakura furrow her brows. "You two are always together and taking care of each other and you can't even tell me it's because you're just friends. He would fight for his friends but he'll do literally anything for you. And I know you would do anything for him. You tried to spare him from having to kill Sasuke and take it on yourself even if it meant you would be killed. I saw how you were hurt when he dropped and how worried you were."

"We're teammates. Like you don't get worried when Shikamaru or Choji get hurt." Ino gave a small smile and shook her head.

"it's different." Ino told her as Sakura rolled her eyes.

"How is it different?" Sakura demanded.

A voice from behind them made them turn to see Iruka walking over to them. "Because you two make each other happy." He took a seat across from the two young women and gave a small smile. "You're the one Naruto's always talked about and worried about. There's no one else who can make him smile like you. I've known you both so long, you can't hide how happy you are around him." Sakura paused before looking away with a slight blush making him chuckle making her turn back towards him.

"Even if it was true…" She paused and looked away sadly. "It's not like he would believe me not after what I did."

"I doubt that will stop him from listening to you. Besides the way Naruto feels about you, there's no way he would push you away." Ino smirked.

"Sakura!" They heard before seeing Hinata running over frightened making the three jump to their feet. "Sakura, Naruto… he… he…"

Sakura gently touched her shoulders. "Take a breath. What's wrong?"

"Naruto started moving around and then he started coughing blood and he's got a really high fever. I tried to ease it but… but… it just got worse and he's in pain…" Sakura looked behind Hinata before starting towards the place she had Naruto laid out. She found Karin trying to keep Naruto from moving too much as the others followed. Sakura knelt down and Karin backed away as she watched the medic work.

Sakura began pushing her chakra into his chest, letting her soft green chakra sooth his battered body. "Naruto." She said softly as she placed her hand on his head and watched as he relaxed at her touch making her lip twitch. "It's okay, relax." She said softly as she worked to ease the pain and fever.

"Is he okay?" Hinata asked softly as she moved closer and watched as Sakura continued to push chakra into Naruto and gently rub her hand over his head, pushing hair off his forehead.

"He'll be okay." Sakura said calm and collected, as the others still felt worried as they watched. "He's okay. He just needs a lot of rest." She told them as she pulled away but never took her eyes from the young man she had grown up with and come to care about.

"Sakura, maybe you should stay with him until he's a little better." Iruka suggested as Ino nodded. "If you're the only one who can care for him then you probably shouldn't go too far from his side in case something like this happens again."

"With Lady Tsunade out and Shizune busy running the medics you're the only one skilled enough to care for him, it's a good idea to just be here." Ino added as Hinata sat next to Sakura watching Naruto worried. Ino felt bad for their friend but she knew the Hyuuga would be alright and come out stronger.

It had been two days since they had settled in the medical camp. Hinata sat watching over Naruto as Sakura slept against the wall. She had been noticing more and more how Naruto would react to Sakura and how lovingly Sakura watched over him. Hinata looked back over as Naruto's head started to shift back and forth. As quietly as she could she moved to his side.

"Naruto." She said softly as he furrowed his brow. "Relax." Hinata put her hand on his head but it didn't seem to do anything. "Maybe he's in pain." She mumbled as she reached out to pure a little green chakra into his chest trying to do what she could but he continued shifted. She didn't want to have to wake Sakura since she had only been able to sleep a few hours here and there after being needed for not only Naruto and Sasuke but the other injured ninja.

"Sa…ku….-" Naruto cracked his eyes and looked up at Hinata leaning over him. He looked at her confused. "Sakura?" He asked as he tried to move to sit up.

Hinata gently pushed him back down. "She's sleeping." The two looked over to where Sakura was leaning against the rock wall still asleep. "She's been working really hard to heal everyone and watching over you." As they looked at her she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Naruto?" She whispered before moving to his side quickly making Naruto smile as his blue eyes opened wider to look over the exhausted Sakura. "How do you feel?" She asked as she reached out to look at an injury on his chest.

"I'm fine." He said making her roll her eyes and look back up at him.

"Yeah right." Sakura gave a small smile before she looked over a few of his worse injuries. "You still have some healing to do." Naruto looked about to argue but a look from Sakura stopped him and the two stared at each other.

"I.. I'm going to go check on the others…" Hinata said softly before getting up and hurrying away. Naruto and Sakura looked back at each other before Naruto pushed himself to sit up with a hard look from the medic.

"Naruto." She said making him just grin at her.

Naruto grabbed his head as he felt it pound until he felt a gentle hand push his away and ease the pain. Slowly he looked up at her and their eyes locked together. Naruto couldn't take his eyes from her as he watched her try to ease the pain he was in. He could hear his father's voice echoing in his head as he remembered his talk with his father before the edo tensei was released.

"Naruto." Minato said as Sakura began healing Sasuke and the others crowded around. "That young woman seems to care for you a lot." Naruto followed his father's line of sight to see Sakura working on healing Sasuke's wounds before helping to give directions to the other medics. "She is a wonderful young woman."

"She's the best." He smirked before looking back at his father who smiled and nodded.

"She reminds me of your mother. She's strong willed and violent but she protects the ones she loves."

"She acts tough, she acts like she's mean and sometimes she is but she really is nice and kind. Sakura isn't as mean ass he makes everyone think."

"I can see that. The way she took care of you, healed you, spoke to you, even looked at you. It's all clear as day."

"What is?" Naruto looked at him confused making Minato laugh. "What?" He whined as his father clasped his son on the shoulder with a bright grin.

Minato paused as he looked at his seventeen-year-old son. "You'll see when the time is right I suppose." He glanced towards Sakura and caught her looking over at them. "It's in her actions, in her features. Watch." Minato smirked before the first Hokage walked over with his brother and the third.

"It is time we return to where we belong." The first said and watched as Minato nodded.

Turning back to his son Minato gave him a reassuring smirk. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble. I'm sure you'll find a way to end the suffering like we've discussed." He watched as everyone gathered around, Sakura coming to Naruto's side. "Take good care of my son for me." Sakura just gave a small nod before the four disintegrated. Sakura watched as Naruto blinked away the gathering tears.

Naruto looked into her green eyes and could see what his father had meant. He could see it written across her face as she eased his pain. Slowly he reached up and gently touched her cheek making her take a quick breath and stop healing. The two could do nothing but look at each other. Their eyes connected and they felt themselves drawn to each other. Naruto slowly leaned in, felt Sakura do the same before their eyes slid closed, and their lip connected. Sakura felt his hand grip the back of her head pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Slowly they pulled apart resting their foreheads together as they looked into each other's eyes once again with bright smiles. Sakura pulled him back for another kiss before he dropped back taking her with him with a squeak of surprise.

"Naruto…" She whispered as they pulled apart. "I…"

"Sakura-chan." He said softly as he brushed her hair back behind her ear with a grin. "Sakura-chan, I love you." He said quickly before he lost his nerve. She looked at him a minute before smiling brightly.

"I love you too Naruto." She told him as she ran her hand over his cheek. "I love you." Naruto gave her another kiss but they were pulled apart as he gasped in pain. "Naruto." She sat up and saw a wound on his side begin to bleed. She quickly started to heal the wound and ease his pain. "We'll talk more later. You need to rest for now. And don't even try to argue with me." He just gave a small grin before letting himself fall into a restful sleep.


End file.
